Issue link: https://blog.providence.org/i/1526586
6 | Health Matters: Providence Humboldt County Knowledge Is Power Mammograms are the gold standard for catching breast cancer early. O ctober is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an event that began in 1985 to educate women about breast cancer and to promote mammography as the most effective way to fight the disease. Over the past four decades, the medical world has made great strides in diagnosing and treating breast cancer, and nowhere is that more evident than in Humboldt County. Recently, the Cancer Program at Providence St. Joseph Hospital Eureka received a remarkable, perfect three-year accreditation score from the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer. As one of the largest accrediting agencies in the country, it monitors 1,500 cancer programs throughout the United States. Providence St. Joseph Eureka is very fortunate to have longtime surgeon Ellen Mahoney, MD, as the medical director of the Providence St. Joseph Hospital Eureka Cancer Program. In addition to the perfect score, Dr. Mahoney received one of the 10 annual Cancer Liaison Physician Outstanding Performance awards. The doctor, who moved to this area 24 years ago after serving on the faculty at Stanford University, says that what makes our program unique is that "we have managed to take what we learned about cancer care at a university level and apply it to a rural setting. The honor of this outstanding accreditation is very validating, as it proves that the Commission on Cancer recognizes the value of our approach." Dr. Ellen Mahoney